Helping the Community with Tom’s Shoes
Best known for holding shoe drops in impoverished countries, Tom?s Shoes is now helping the community by holding those same shoe drops State side. Tom?s Shoes was given this chance to help last year as well. It looks like they had so much fun helping their own community that they came back for more.
Tom?s Shoes was started in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie who wanted to show he could start a philanthropic company while also turning a profit. The idea came to him after visiting Argentina where he befriended local children and learned that they had no shoes. Thus the famous Tom?s Shoes one-for-one motto was born.
After several shoe drops to third world countries Blake Mycoskie considered a shoe drop in the United States. He realized that even though poverty in the United States doesn?t necessarily mean a lack of shoes, it often means worn out shoes, shoes that are either too tight or too big, and sharing shoes with siblings. What better way to give back to the community than provide children with proper shoes using the one-for-one motto.
Tom?s Shoe headed to New Orleans this year to along with 33 volunteers. They were all excited to have the opportunity to give away over 2,000 pairs of shoes to students in 5 schools in the surrounding New Orleans area.
Not only did Tom?s Shoes provide kids with proper fitting shoes, but they also provided them with a creative outlet. When Tom?s Shoes delivers their blank canvas shoes to kids in need they bring markers for the children to decorate their shoes, making them unique and giving meaning to the shoes. Many of the children claimed personalizing their shoes was the best part of they day (other than getting their own pair of Tom?s Shoes of course).
Like Blake Mycoskie you too can help in and outside your community by participating in the one-for-one philosophy.
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